Given the popularity of the iPhone, it's no wonder we're seeing more and more earphones with integrated mics and controls for the device. In the same price range as Apple's own in-ear headphones ($79), you have the Zagg Z.buds, a rugged set that offers an extra thick cloth-coated cable and a wider array of eartips.

The plastic earpieces are attached to an extra long, cloth-covered Y-cable that doesn't come to connect until nearly 30 inches down. Here, Zagg includes three detached ball sliders that can be used to prevent tangles and adjust the span of the Y.

Although the earpieces of the Z.buds are quite compact and reasonably comfortable, we found that they didn't fit that securely in the long run. Even with the foam tips, the 'buds tended to slip out of the ears--in fact, the tips themselves would slip a bit off the base arm.

On the plus side, Zagg includes plenty of sleeves to choose from: two pairs of foam, three standard silicone sets, and a triple-flanged style. These should help most users achieve a solid seal with the ear and take advantage of the earbuds' passive-sound-isolation capability.

Of course, we can't forget the rather bulky plastic module attached to the left cable. It contains a volume knob as well as a mic and a single, clickable button for controlling the iPhone or iPod. Pressing this once will answer or hang up calls, twice skips to the next song, and three times goes back a track.

During testing, the Z.buds fared well in terms of sound quality, though certain tracks shine much more than others, notably hip-hop, pop, dance, and electronica. Some rock and funk has a tendency to sound muddy. These earphones are definitely heavy on the bass, which is super deep and can overpower at times.